building the future
annual report
ETSI’s Vision of a Connected World
Security
Public Safety
Home & Office
Better Living
with ICT
Content
Delivery
Interoperability
Fixed
Networks
Connecting
Things
Transportation
Wireless
Systems
We have introduced the ‘cluster’ concept to provide a simplified, yet comprehensive, introduction to our activities
in the standardisation of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). This new approach facilitates access
to our diverse work, enabling the identification of areas of interest based on business relevance or application
domain rather than purely on technical work areas.
Each cluster represents a major component of a global ICT architecture and encapsulates the work of a number of
our Technical Committees (TCs) and Working Groups (WGs) that share a common technological scope and vision.
It is this joint scope and vision that gives each cluster its own identity; collectively the clusters represent the
totality of ETSI’s work, creating a connected world.
ETSI is a producer of globally applicable standards for ETSI is at the forefront of emerging technologies. It is
ICT, including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast
building close relationships with research bodies and
its open approach to standardisation has seen its influence
of the future and improve life for the next generation.
and Internet technologies. The high quality of its work and
extend from its European roots to impact the world.
addressing the technical issues that will drive the economy
ETSI is a world-renowned organisation with a solid
ETSI is officially recognised by the European Union as
reputation for technical excellence. It makes its expertise
by time to market and its standards help ensure the free
services for growing ideas and enabling technology.
a European Standards Organisation. Its activities are driven
movement of goods within the single European market,
allowing enterprises in the EU to be more competitive.
ETSI is a not-for-profit organisation with more than
700 member organisations worldwide, drawn from 62
countries and five continents. Members include the world’s
leading companies and innovative R&D organisations.
available to its members and customers through a range of
Annual Report 2012 (published April 2013)
In the general overview of standardisation,
two issues featured prominently in 2012.
Dirk Weiler
Chairman of the
General
Assembly
Jonas Sundborg
Chairman of the
Board
Luis Jorge
Romero
Director-General
Firstly, the long awaited reform of the
European Standardisation System was
adopted by the European Council in
October. The new system acknowledges the
importance of standards in a much wider
variety of areas, amends some of the
processes and adds new elements, including
the need to increase the involvement of
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
and other stakeholders. ETSI is already
aware of the value of this – almost 200 of
our members are SMEs and, in recent years,
we have increased our collaboration with
CEN/CENELEC and with fora and consortia.
We were encouraged that the specific needs
of ICT have been recognised and that the
principle of direct participation in the
standards-making process – much cherished
by ETSI – has been upheld.
Secondly, issues over Intellectual Property
Rights (IPRs) grew in frequency and
significance. In ETSI, the tension between
IPRs (destined for private, exclusive use) and
standards (intended for collective use) is
minimised by our highly respected IPR
Policy. But there is always room for
improvement, so we are consulting widely
on this subject. This is just one example of
the way we continually strive to meet our
members’ needs and to protect their
interests.
The technical highlights of 2012 were
numerous. They include the freezing of the
Third Generation Partnership Project
(3GPP™) Release 11, the largest 3GPP
release so far. We were a driving force
behind the move to establish a new
Partnership Project to ensure the most
efficient global deployment of Machine-toMachine (M2M) communications systems,
becoming a founding partner in oneM2M.
We produced the specifications for the 4th
Form Factor for the UICC. To minimise the
environmental impact of Information and
Communications Technologies (ICT), we are
pioneering the use of Life Cycle Assessment
for telecommunication products, networks
and services. And, by the end of the year,
we were in the process of finalising more
than 65 standards, specifications and reports
for the first release of Intelligent Transport
Systems (ITS) specifications, which will
enable the deployment of Co-operative ITS.
Despite the continuing economic crisis, our
members are still finding the resources to
invest in standardisation – because
standardisation helps them maintain and
renew their businesses. In 2012 we adopted
a new approach to our members, opening
up much more direct relations, so that we
can better ascertain their needs.
Our Cloud activities are also gathering pace.
We have been tasked by the European
Commission to co-ordinate the development
of a detailed map of the necessary
standards for Cloud (including security,
interoperability, data portability and
reversibility), and we have launched the
Cloud Standards Co-ordination.
Our Industry Specification Groups (ISGs) are
proving an effective mechanism to kick-start
standardisation in the new technologies our
members are bringing to us. For example, at
the end of the year we launched a new ISG
on Network Functions Virtualisation with
the aim of developing a new approach to
the technologies and operations within
telecoms networks.
We do not neglect our traditional areas of
strength – as is obvious from the following
pages – but we also recognise the potential
of emerging technologies and their
importance to our members’ future. We are
responding in innovative new ways with our
traditional adaptability.
We continue to address the technologies for
which we have always been so well regarded
– cordless telecommunications, electronic
signatures, smart cards, testing and
interoperability, speech and media quality
and, of course, mobile communications.
But we are also moving in new directions.
We are responding to a new challenge in
which ICT is both a driving force and a
facilitator in other sectors. As this report
shows, we are now developing no less a
reputation in new areas such as M2M, ITS,
Smart Grids and eHealth.
1
Building the Future – an Overview of 2012
2012 was an exciting year for ETSI. We signed new
partnership agreements, notably with the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). We strengthened our
relationships with the European Commission (EC) and with
other standardisation organisations, including the European
Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC),
and we participated in the debate on the reform of the
European standardisation system. But our main achievement
was the creation of over 2 700 standards and reports on an
ever widening range of topics.
Connecting Things
In January, we published our first Release of Machine-toMachine (M2M) standards, defining a standardised platform
for administrating multiple M2M services. Work has started
on Release 2 and, in July, we joined with six other major
Standards Development Organisations in launching the
oneM2M Partnership Project to bring about the global
deployment of M2M communications systems.
The first phase of work under the EC Mandate on Smart
Metering (M/441) was finalised and validated in December
2012. Work on the impact of smart grids on the M2M
platform progressed well in response to the ‘Smart Grid
Mandate’ (M/490), and we completed the Smart Grid
Architecture Model.
Greener Living
During 2012 we produced numerous standards and
specifications to improve the energy efficiency of
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
equipment. And we are well on the way with the
specifications necessary to enable the application of Digital
Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT™) for Ultra
Low Energy (ULE) technology in home automation, for
sensors, alarms, utility meters and M2M applications.
Smart Cards
2012 saw the specification for the technical realisation of a
4th Form Factor for the UICC smart card. The SIM card has
come a long way – and shrunk significantly – since we
specified the first ID-1 Card in 1988! We also produced a
Technical Specification containing use cases and a fairly
extensive set of requirements for the management of the
embedded UICC (eUICC).
Mobile Communications
As one of the founding partners of the Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP™), we are helping to develop
specifications for advanced mobile communications
technologies. In 2012 3GPP Release 11 was virtually
completed, with nearly 100 new top-level ‘Features’ and a
wide variety of new functionality.
Cloud
We are addressing the rapidly expanding worldwide market
for cloud products and services with the launch of the Cloud
Standards Co-ordination. At the request of the EC, we will
co-ordinate with stakeholders and identify a roadmap of
new standards required. We also began new work on Cloud
as a mitigating technology to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in other (non-ICT) sectors.
Ongoing Activities
We continued our pioneering work on testing and organised
12 Plugtests™ interoperability events in 2012. There were
notable achievements in maritime radar, we published our
first Technical Specification on the radio reconfiguration
related requirements for mobile devices, and we are
developing the first ever Harmonised Standard outlining the
essential requirements for Reconfigurable Radio Systems
(RRS) operating in TV White Space spectrum. Working in the
Joint Technical Committee on Broadcast, we completed the
standards for the second generation of the Digital Video
Broadcasting (DVB) interactive satellite system (DVB-RCS2).
We continue to address electronic signatures, public safety,
medical implants and speech and multimedia transmission
quality. We have refocused our fixed network
standardisation, creating a new ETSI Project on End-to-End
Network Architectures (EP E2NA), and new committees on
Network Technologies (TC NTECH) and Integrated
Broadband Cable Telecommunication Networks (TC CABLE).
Introducing New Technologies
Cordless Communications
But we are always looking for ways to extend our activities to
support our members as technology – and their businesses –
evolve. In 2012 we strengthened our links with research
projects and we organised major workshops to promote
developing standardisation activities, including M2M, Cloud,
energy efficiency, RRS and Smart Body Area Networks.
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)
The introduction of Industry Specification Groups (ISGs) to
accelerate standardisation in key new areas is already
yielding fruit. In particular, ISG Open Smart Grid (OSG)
delivered an OSG Protocol in 2012 which forms part of our
first set of Smart Grid specifications. We created three new
ISGs in 2012: Operational energy Efficiency for Users, Low
Throughput Networks, and Network Functions Virtualisation,
of which we have high expectations for the creation of
specifications to support virtualised functions of telecoms
networks.
DECT is still the leading standard worldwide for digital
cordless telecommunications for both cordless voice and
broadband home communication. We are now developing
New Generation DECT, with advanced features such as high
quality wideband (7 kHz) and super wideband (14 kHz) voice,
support of Internet telephony and broadband data
connections.
By the end of 2012, we were finalising the first Release of ITS
specifications. This Release will enable the deployment of
Co-operative ITS, which offers enormous potential through
vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication.
For example, it could provide driver assistance and hazard
warning, emergency services, traffic control, fleet and freight
management and location-based services.
2
Standards are a key enabler of new technologies. They are
the bricks with which we build the future.
New Beginnings
We are constantly looking for ways to expand our portfolio of activities to keep up to date with the changing nature of
the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry. Responding to emerging needs is crucial to maintain
our position as a global leader in ICT standardisation and to provide our members with the standards they need to
develop their businesses with innovative services and equipment.
Industry Specification Groups
The establishment of standards early in the development of a
technology means that products are commercialised faster
and reach global markets. Standardisation also contributes to
customer confidence and ensures interoperability. We
introduced the concept of the Industry Specification Group
(ISG) to operate alongside our traditional standards
development process to produce specifications in these new
areas. ISGs focus on a specific activity and, by their nature,
offer a very quick and easy alternative to the creation of
industry fora.
By the end of 2012, there were
11 active ISGs:
AFI – Autonomic network
engineering for the selfmanaging Future Internet
INS – Identity and access
management for Networks
and Services
ISI – Information Security
Indicators
LIS – Localisation Industry
Standards
LTN – Low Throughput Networks
MOI – Measurement Ontology for
IP traffic
NFV – Network Functions
Virtualisation
OEU – Operational energy
Efficiency for Users
ORI – Open Radio equipment
Interface
QKD – Quantum Key Distribution
SMT – Surface Mount Technique
By the end of 2012, there
were 11 active ISGs. They
had produced 25 Group
Specifications (GSs) since
their establishment in 2008,
and were working on more
than 30 others.
Highlights of the year
included the publication
by ISG Open Smart Grid
(ISG OSG) of its first Group
Specification, on an OSG
Protocol. This, together
with a companion
specification on powerline
telecommunications, forms
our first set of Smart Grid
specifications.
ISG ORI also published its
first release of specifications
for an interface between
remote radio heads and base
band units of mobile base
stations in 2012. Work has
now begun on the second
release.
In 2012 we created three new ISGs:
ISG Operational energy Efficiency for Users (OEU) – major
industrial user groups will develop performance indicators
for environmentally efficient ICT, such as infrastructure,
equipment and software in data centres and networks,
taking into account, for example, power consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions.
ISG Low Throughput Networks (LTN) – will specify a new
ultra narrowband radio technology for very low data rates
for ultra long autonomy devices, which will provide the
Internet of Things and Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
communications with an efficient connection that is both
cost effective and low in energy consumption.
ISG Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) – will leverage
standard IT virtualisation technology to consolidate different
network equipment types onto industry standard high
volume servers, switches and storage. It will develop the
specifications for the hardware and software infrastructure
to apply virtualisation to any data plane packet processing
and control plane function in fixed and mobile network
infrastructures.
Collaborative Research
We maintain close links with R&D projects so that we can
identify new technologies with a standardisation need in
areas where we can push innovation. During 2012, we were
a partner in ten European Commission Framework
Programme 7 (FP7) projects and we maintained active
contacts with a number of others. These projects span a wide
range of technology areas. Many are related to the Future
Internet, including the Internet of Services and the Internet
of Things; others address sectors in which ICT increasingly
drive innovation, such as improving the quality of life
through eHealth in the HITCH project, and energy efficiency
in EARTH.
Our role in these projects varies. For example, our Centre for
Testing and Interoperability is developing test specifications
for electric vehicles as part of the PowerUp project. We
supported the MOSQUITO project on the Future Mobile
Internet with a Plugtests™ interoperability event in May in
Paris, France. And we hosted an EARTH project meeting in
March. In some cases, participation in collaborative research
has triggered new standardisation activities in ETSI, mainly in
ISGs. Other projects have contributed to our ongoing
standardisation work.
Project SUNRISE began in February 2012, with the aim of
ensuring the successful implementation and evolution of the
EU’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Programmes
by involving future users. Through our Forapolis™ service, we
have set up the Open GNSS User Forum to reach
communities of users of Location Based Services and
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
Workshops
We regularly organise workshops to facilitate early
consensus-building, to kick-start new standardisation
activities, and to fertilise ongoing technical work. For
example, we ran a workshop in December in Cannes,
France, at which we officially launched the Cloud Standards
Co-ordination. Our third M2M Workshop took place in
October in Mandelieu, France, attracting a record 200
participants. The fourth ETSI ITS Workshop was held in Doha,
Qatar, in February 2012, with over 120 delegates from all
over the world.
The seventh annual ETSI Security Workshop took place in
January 2012, bringing together over 150 participants. We
held our first Energy Efficiency workshop in June in Genoa,
Italy, with over 80 delegates. We organised a workshop on
Telecommunications Quality Matters in Vienna, Austria, in
November. In December we held a workshop on
Reconfigurable Radio Systems in Cannes. And our eHealth
project organised a workshop on Smart Body Area Networks
in September as part of the BodyNets 2012 conference in
Oslo, Norway.
3
Connecting Things
Integrating Objects to Create New Networked Services
An ever increasing number of everyday machines and objects are now embedded with sensors or actuators and have the
ability to communicate over the Internet. These ‘smart’ objects can sense and even influence the real world. Collectively
they make up what is known as the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). The IoT draws together various technologies including Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service platforms and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In
ETSI we are addressing the issues raised by connecting potentially billions of these ‘smart objects’ into a communications
network, by developing the standards for data security, data management and data processing. This will ensure
interoperable and cost-effective solutions and allow the market to reach its full potential.
Connecting Things
Machine-to-Machine Communications
We are working to address the fragmentation of existing
M2M solutions. Technology is typically dedicated to a single
application (e.g. fleet management, meter reading, vending
machines), with the result that interoperability is prejudiced
and the global M2M market is being impeded.
Standardisation is a key enabler to remove technical barriers
and ensure interoperable M2M services and networks that
can be deployed worldwide. The creation of a standardised
platform for M2M services and technologies is expected to
ensure that the various industries involved will benefit fully
from the economic growth and innovation opportunities that
M2M communications offer. It will help multiple industries to
lower their operating costs and capital expenses, shorten
time-to-market, create mass-market economies of scale,
simplify the development of applications and expand and
accelerate global business opportunities.
Early in 2012, our M2M Communications committee
(TC M2M) published the first Release of the M2M Service
Layer standard, defining a standardised platform for multiple
M2M services. It provides the first detailed specification of
the necessary interfaces with a formal definition of the
Application Programming Interface (API) and the required
parameters, and includes the functional aspects, the
information data model and the transport bindings on HTTP
and Constrained Application Protocol (COAP).
Architecture Model was completed in November 2012,
providing guidelines and a stable reference for the creation
of Smart Grid solutions.
We organised the third M2M workshop in October 2012 in
Mandelieu, France. The event attracted a record 200
participants, making this the best attended regular ETSI
workshop ever.
Following extensive discussion in TC M2M, in July 2012, ETSI
became a founding partner in a new global organisation
launched to ensure the most efficient deployment of M2M
communications systems. The oneM2M Partnership Project
brings together interested organisations including seven of
the world’s leading Information and Communications
Technologies (ICT) Standards Development Organisations
(SDOs).
TC M2M was a leading proponent of the initiative, and in due
course most of its work will be transferred to oneM2M,
where it will be addressed on a global level. Until then,
TC M2M will continue to develop Release 2, expanding the
configuration towards inter-operator communications.
Release 2 will also include the construction of a common
application semantic for the sharing of information in
different application and service environments (vertical
sectors).
The whole system is capable of running on a generic IP
(Internet Protocol) network, but is designed to take
advantage and reuse the functionality of the underlying
telecommunication networks. This includes, for example,
security and management aspects which are made easily
available to the M2M application, together with a wide set of
additional M2M-oriented functionality including the
management of discontinuously connected terminals, log
management, cloud data storage and privacy management
tools.
Following the completion of Release 1, we turned our
attention to the application-independent ‘horizontal’ service
platform within the architecture which, with its evolved
functionality, is capable of supporting a very wide range of
services, including (but not limited to) smart metering, smart
grids, eHealth, city automation, consumer applications and
car automation.
We are working in response to the European Commission
(EC) Mandate on Smart Metering (M/441), which seeks the
creation of standards to enable the interoperability of utility
meters (for water, gas, electricity, heat) to improve
customers’ awareness of actual consumption and thus lead
to a reduction in their energy usage. The first phase was
finalised and validated by the EC in December 2012.
In response to the ‘Smart Grid Mandate’ (M/490), we made
good progress with a Technical Report (TR) on the impact of
smart grids on the M2M platform. The Smart Grid
4
oneM2M’s first task will be to develop technical
specifications for a common M2M Service Layer that can be
readily embedded within various hardware and software,
connecting the wide range of devices in the field with M2M
application servers worldwide. These specifications will
provide a common platform to be used by communications
service providers to support applications and services as
diverse as the smart grid, the connected car, eHealth and
telemedicine, home automation and energy management,
enterprise supply chain and public safety.
oneM2M held its first plenary meeting in September 2012
and established two Working Groups to deal with,
respectively, requirements and architecture. By the end of
2012, good progress had already been made. In December
two additional working groups were established for Security,
and Management, Abstraction and Semantics.
Reducing Energy Consumption
Open Smart Grid Protocol
As the smart grid evolves, it will become commonplace for
utilities to co-operate with grid-aware systems and devices to
reduce power usage intelligently, giving commercial,
industrial and municipal users reduced rates in exchange for
lower consumption, while at the same time increasing grid
reliability and the use of renewable energy sources.
In January 2012 we published two specifications for the
Smart Grid that will help drive the development and
deployment of open, interoperable smart grid technologies
internationally. Working in co-operation with the Energy
Services Network Association (ENSA), our Open Smart Grid
Industry Specification Group (ISG OSG) produced a Group
Specification for an application layer protocol which can be
used with multiple communication media. Our Powerline
Telecommunications committee (TC PLT) published a
Technical Specification which defines a high-performance
narrowband powerline channel for control networking in the
smart grid that can be used with multiple smart grid devices.
Together these two form the first set of Smart Grid
specifications produced by ETSI.
services are looking to home medicine and telemedicine to
help provide a comprehensive health care system and to
reduce the growing costs of health care. The aim is to create
the standards necessary for the confidential transmission of
medical data by wireless signals from individual measuring
equipment, via a PC and video-link. One of the current
problems is the lack of interoperability between devices. We
are preparing a TR, examining use cases and analysing the
economic, legal and technical issues for the implementation
of a telemedicine solution. We are also working on a related
TS, defining the protocol requirements to ensure
interoperability, and addressing security and transmission
quality.
Low Throughput Networks
Many of the connecting objects in M2M and IoT need only
low throughput connectivity. In 2012 we established an ISG
on Low Throughput Networks (ISG LTN) to specify a new
ultra narrowband radio technology for very low data rates
for ultra long autonomy devices. This will provide an efficient
connection that is both cost effective and low in energy
consumption.
RFID
We have also been looking for solutions to achieve
co-existence between UHF RFID and Extended GSM-R
(ER-GSM, GSM™ on railways). The aim is to enable friendly
spectrum sharing between future UHF RFID systems in the
915 - 921 MHz band and ER-GSM systems in the 918 - 921
MHz band. Tests and trails continued in 2012. These
produced good results which were used to update the
existing TS on the methods, parameters and test procedures
for cognitive interference mitigation. A TR on the testing plan
itself is also being prepared. The final results of this work,
including active mitigation techniques, will be incorporated in
a Harmonised Standard for RFID.
eHealth – Saving Lives, Saving Costs
Improving the quality of health care, reducing medical costs
and fostering independent living for those needing care are
key objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe.
Telemedicine, for example, can improve the treatment of
patients both at home and away and reduces unnecessary
hospitalisation but, according to the World Health
Organisation, only 8% of patients today use tele-monitoring.
Medical issues were a key focus of TC ERM in 2012. We
began work on an exciting new project – telemedicine
solutions for the ‘Internet polyclinic’. In countries such as
Russia, with a population scattered over wide areas, health
We are also working on Low Power Active Medical Implants
operating in the 2 483,5 - 2 500 MHz band, which use low
power implanted wireless devices to provide telemetry and
telecontrol to and from an external programmer. Given their
crucial usage, we published a specific product standard (a
European Standard) to ensure that the radio links are tested
to appropriate levels.
Connecting Things
Our Technical Committee for Electromagnetic Compatibility
and Radio Spectrum Matters (TC ERM) is working with the
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
Administrations (CEPT) in an attempt to find additional
spectrum for RFID, short range devices (SRDs) and smart
metering. By the end of 2012, a new two-part Technical
Specification (TS) on the smart metering wireless access
protocol for SRDs was nearing completion, pending copyright
considerations. When finished, it will harmonise protocols for
devices supporting M2M applications.
We are producing a System Reference Document with a view
to adjusting the current regulatory requirements to allow for
the emergence of new medical products, to enable the same
2 483,5 - 2 500 MHz band to be used additionally by SRDs for
cochlear implants operating as Low Power Active Medical
Implants outdoors, within a range of a few metres from the
equipment.
In 2012 we began to investigate possible standardisation in
the area of Body Area Networks (BAN). We co-organised a
workshop on Smart BAN as part of the BodyNets 2012
conference in Oslo, Norway, which highlighted a number of
key points. There is a pressing need for harmonisation and
standardisation in this area and discussions about how to
manage the work are continuing.
5
Wireless Systems
Wireless Systems
Enabling a Wireless World
Radio technology is an integral part of our daily lives. We use radio technology for our mobile phones, for broadcast radio
and television, in Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and cordless technology, Global Navigation Satellite Systems
(GNSS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and short range devices. All of these technologies and applications compete
for use of limited radio spectrum resources.
ETSI creates the standards which define many of these radio technologies and systems. We also provide the standards
which the regulatory authorities in Europe – and elsewhere – use to manage the radio spectrum environment and to ensure
safe co-existence between all these systems.
Supporting the European Regulatory
Environment
ETSI plays a key role, co-operating with the European
Commission (EC) and the Electronic Communications
Committee (ECC) of the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) on aspects of
the regulatory environment for radio equipment and
spectrum, both at the European Union (EU) level and at the
wider intergovernmental level across Europe.
The EC harmonises the essential requirements for radio
equipment, which include constructing radio equipment so
as to avoid harmful interference, via the Radio and
Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive.
We provide a broad range of Harmonised Standards in
response to EC mandates. Applying these standards enables
manufacturers to demonstrate that their products comply
with the Directive’s requirements before being placed on the
market or put into service. National governments also use
these standards in their important work of enforcement. ETSI
standards define the state of the art, and enable
Administrations to take action against non-compliant
equipment, ensuring that legitimate users can use spectrum
without interference. In October, the EC published proposals
for replacing the R&TTE Directive with a new Radio
Equipment Directive, and we began to analyse the
implications of the new proposals for our future radio work,
especially in relation to software defined radio, cognitive
radio and installations.
While the EU develops new modes of spectrum sharing in
Europe (a key element of the Radio Spectrum Policy
Programme, adopted in March 2012), we are developing new
technologies which take advantage of these approaches. We
propose new radio systems via ‘System Reference
Documents’ which provide technical, legal and economic
information, to inform the ECC’s allocation of spectrum. For
example in 2012, we began examining the technical means
for systems to operate under a Licensed Shared Access
regime, in parallel with this spectrum policy being developed
by Europe’s regulators.
Broadband Radio Access Networks
In 2012, our work on Broadband Radio Access Networks
included the preparation of Technical Reports (TRs) for Direct
Air to Ground Communication (DA2GC) systems and the
production of Harmonised Standards for Wireless Access
Systems including Radio Local Area Networks (RLANs). We
completed two System Reference Documents describing the
technical characteristics of DA2GC systems operating in
license exempt spectrum, to support additional spectrum,
and we continued our work on Ultra-Broadband
Wireless Systems.
Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS)
Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS) are opening up an
opportunity for the sharing of unused spectrum amongst
multiple services and radio networks, maximising the use of
scarce and expensive frequencies. A new focus is on Licensed
Shared Access (LSA), which allows for the co-existence of the
original incumbent alongside a new cellular operator in the
same band. In November 2012, the EC issued Mandate 512
to regulate RRS, including LSA. We began work immediately,
kick-starting activities at a highly successful ETSI workshop on
RRS, held in Cannes, France, in December 2012.
We are already developing the standards necessary for the
future enforcement of the new Radio Equipment Directive,
specifically to enable dynamic certification, which is a crucial
factor in the introduction of new features, especially radio
applications.
We published our first Technical Specification (TS) in March
on the radio reconfiguration related requirements for mobile
devices. A TS defining the system architecture was approved
in December 2012 and a TS on the system requirements for
RRS operating in IMT and GSM™ bands for intra-operator
scenarios is well advanced.
TV White Spaces
We are actively engaged in work on UHF TV White Spaces
(TVWS, the areas of spectrum between allocated frequency
bands that are unused by the spectrum owner over a given
time in a given location). A feasibility study on control
channels for Cognitive Radio Systems was published in April.
The existing TR outlining use cases for operation in White
Space frequency bands was revised to take account of
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices. Ongoing activities are
focused on the co-existence architecture for Cognitive Radio
Networks on UHF White Space frequency bands, the system
requirements for operation in UHF TVWS, and a feasibility
study into Radio Frequency (RF) performances for Cognitive
Radio Systems operating in UHF TVWS, which will address
concerns about interference. We are also conducting a
feasibility study into co-existence between Cognitive Radio
Systems and RF cable networks.
In addition, we made good progress in 2012 developing the
first ever Harmonised Standard (EN) outlining the essential
requirements for RRS operating in TV White Space spectrum.
Satellite Communications
In 2012, we published two TRs on satellite navigation: one on
GNSS based applications and standardisation needs, and the
other on GNSS receivers reference performances and
interference mitigation capability. We revised the GMR-1 and
the G family technical specifications for the satellite
component of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System (UMTS™)/IMT-2000. We also updated the
Harmonised Standard on mobile terminals operating in the
L band (1,5/1,6 GHz) to include the so-called ‘extended
L band’, a 7 MHz adjacent slice of spectrum newly opened to
the Mobile Satellite Service by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU).
We are taking a leading role in three areas in response to the
European Commission’s ‘Space Mandate’ (M/496):
Navigation and Positioning receivers for road applications
and airport services; interoperability and the integration of
Mobile Satellite Systems and Fixed Satellite Systems with
terrestrial systems, in particular Next Generation Networks,
and with GNSS, in particular Galileo; and disaster
management.
Advanced Mobile Communications
Technologies – 3GPP
ETSI and 3GPP
3GPP is supported by ETSI’s Mobile Competence
Centre (MCC).
Further information at: www.3gpp.org
3GPP Release 11 was virtually completed in 2012; stage 2
was frozen in March and stage 3 in September, leaving just
final protocol adjustments to be made in 2013.
Release 11 encompasses nearly one hundred new top-level
‘Features’, resulting in a wide variety of new functionality
including quality of service controlled by pre-set subscriber
spending limits, novel non-radio access to 3GPP networks
(for example, wireline broadband), improvements in
interworking with WLANs including hotspots, domestic and
corporate networks etc., new EEA3/EIA3 security algorithms
(ZUC), and more, together with the usual improvements to
and enhancement of existing features.
Release 11 also includes more than 30 top-level studies,
most of which will lead to new or revised specifications in
Release 12. Topics covered were as diverse as IMS-based
peer-to-peer content distribution services, non-voice
emergency services, Single Sign-On (SSO) application
security, mobile 3D video codecs, management techniques to
reduce radio network energy dissipation, improvements to
the radio access technology for machine-type
communications, and the inevitable addition of extra
frequency bands and the feasibility of various types of carrier
aggregation.
Mobile Standards Group
Our Mobile Standards Group committee (TC MSG) provides
the regulatory standards which are needed to support the
deployment of GSM, UMTS and LTE networks in Europe. In
2012 work focused primarily on completing the revision of
the Harmonised Standards for GSM base stations and GSM
repeaters, to introduce the 3GPP Release 9 features of Voice
over Adaptive Multiuser on One Slot (VAMOS) and MultiStandard Multi-RAT Base Station (MSR) in GERAN single
RAT mode.
As part of our standardisation of GSM on board aircraft, in
March we published a TS to limit the power outside an
aircraft radiated from the base station system equipment,
which will help prevent interference with mobile networks
on the ground.
New Generation DECT
Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT™) is
still the leading standard worldwide for digital cordless
telecommunications for both cordless voice and broadband
home communication. We are now working on ‘New
Generation DECT’.
New Technologies
In 2012, our Industry Specification Group on the Open Radio
Equipment Interface (ISG ORI) published its first release of
specifications for an interface between remote radio heads
and base band units of mobile base stations. Use of
distributed radio equipment can lead to significant cost
savings for a mobile operator, as well as offering greater
flexibility in network design and deployment. Work has now
begun on the second release.
Our ISG on Surface Mount Technique (ISG SMT) began work
on three specifications for embedded communications
modules using SMT.
Wireless Systems
ETSI is one of the founding
partners of the Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP™), in which we come
together with five other regional standardisation
organisations worldwide, plus market associations
and several hundred individual companies, to
develop specifications for advanced mobile
communications technologies. Based on the
evolution of GSM, which was defined by ETSI,
3GPP has developed UMTS, LTE™ and
LTE-Advanced technologies. A derivative of GSM,
GSM-R, which was developed by ETSI’s Railway
Telecommunications committee (TC RT), is used in
the rail industry.
Channel aggregation was a key focus of 2012. The demands
for data transmission have been rising and are projected to
continue to rise for years to come. One way to achieve the
required level of service is to have wider channels. This can
be accomplished efficiently by aggregating individual
channels to make wider composite channels, of up to 100
MHz. 3GPP has therefore been working on the aggregation
of channels both from the same band (intra-band channel
aggregation) and from different bands (inter-band channel
aggregation). LTE has been specified for operation in a large
(and growing) number of frequency bands, and thus very
many combinations of channels can be envisaged. Often,
pairs of bands are only available in particular geographical
areas or to particular licensed operators. Parameterisation
and characterisation of channel aggregation now makes up
an increasingly important percentage of the total 3GPP work
plan; already Releases 11 and 12 show 200 individual items
of channel aggregation work.
Better Living with ICT
Technologies for a Better Life
While technological progress has improved the way we communicate for both social and business purposes and opened up
exciting new opportunities, we are careful to minimise any adverse social consequences. Part of our work therefore involves
making products and services simpler to use, safer and more efficient. We are also committed to identifying energy
efficiency solutions that mitigate the impact on climate change of the growing use of Information and Communications
Technologies (ICT). The ultimate goal is to ensure that ICT improve the quality of life for all.
Better Living with ICT
Energy Efficiency for ICT
Our Environmental Engineering committee (TC EE) is
supporting European Commission (EC) Mandate 462 in its
goal “to enable efficient energy use in fixed and mobile
information and communication networks” by defining the
best environmental practices for telecommunication
equipment and infrastructures in different situations. We
also actively contribute to various global initiatives to reduce
the environmental impact of ICT equipment.
In June 2012 we organised an Energy Efficiency workshop, at
the University of Genoa, Italy, to bring standardisation
experts together to share their views, discuss their current
work, and to identify future standardisation needs.
We made good progress revising the European Standards
(ENs) which define the climatic and mechanical requirements
for telecommunication equipment. Three new ENs were
produced which address the methods for transportation tests
and for testing telecommunication equipment installed in
weather-protected and non-weather-protected locations. We
are developing a new ETSI Standard (ES) on thermal
management requirements in outdoor enclosures.
Work is ongoing on a multi-part ES on the control and
monitoring of power and cooling systems used in
telecommunication and data infrastructures, with the aim of
monitoring and reducing power consumption.
Other work focussed on the high voltage DC power supply
interface requirements up to 400V, to reduce energy
consumption in central offices and data centres, the DC
source up to 400V and the grounding and bonding of
telecommunication equipment connected to the 400V DC
power source.
In the area of measurement methods to assess energy
efficiency, we published an EN on customer premises
equipment, an ES on core network equipment, and two
Technical Reports (TRs) on radio base stations and radio
access networks. Work on an ES on measuring the energy
efficiency of transport telecommunication equipment and an
ES for router and switching equipment progressed well.
Throughout 2012, TC EE and our Access, Terminals,
Transmission and Multiplexing committee (TC ATTM) worked
together to develop the first sets of ratios, or ‘Global Key
Performance Indicators’ (KPIs), to monitor the energy
management of deployed broadband services, specifically
operational telecommunication infrastructures, operators’
data centres and mobile access networks.
We are working with the Telecommunications
Standardisation sector of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) to publish a common
methodology, which will define how to measure the
environmental impact of a telecommunication product from
the raw material/components until the end of its life, as well
as the environmental impact of an entire telecommunication
network or service.
We work closely with various European Research Projects on
energy efficiency. In particular, co-operation with ECONET
(low Energy COnsumption NETworks) has prompted work on
the development of a new ES on the energy management
capabilities of the future telecommunication fixed network
nodes.
We also contributed towards the EC’s Joint Research Centre
(JRC) in its revision of the Code of Conduct on the energy
consumption of broadband equipment and data centres.
Various ETSI publications have been adopted as reference
methodologies to determine the energy efficiency of network
and wireless access equipment.
In co-operation with the Home Gateway Initiative (HGI), we
completed the first series of standards for global usage on
common power supplies for communication equipment at
customers’ premises.
In 2012, we established a new Industry Specification Group
on Operational energy Efficiency for Users (ISG OEU) to
develop performance indicators for environmentally efficient
ICT, such as infrastructure, equipment and software in data
centres and networks, taking into account, for example,
power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
8
Access for All
We are also working on end-to-end transmission planning
requirements for real-time services in the Next Generation
Network, focusing on the delay introduced by network
elements and jitter caused by the access bandwidth
limitations of reference connection scenarios. 3G and LTE™
aspects have been added to the scope of this work.
In 2012, TC HF’s work was concentrated on its response to EC
Mandate 376 on the “Support of European accessibility
requirements for public procurement of products and
services in the ICT domain”. Working in co-operation with
the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation
(CENELEC), final drafts of two TRs and an EN on ICT
accessibility requirements and testing methods were
produced. Together these documents will be used for
conformance testing in public procurement processes, to
help ensure that accessibility is taken into account and that
the ICT environment of public organisations is accessible
to all.
During 2012, we examined the QoS of connections from
current technologies to LTE, where delay problems have
been encountered by operators. We published a new TR in
November, which will help LTE stakeholders to maintain
end-to-end speech quality at a high level when deploying the
technology.
By making products, systems, services and environments
easy for all to use, Human Factors can be crucial in the
commercial success of any ICT product or service. Our
Human Factors committee (TC HF) is internationally
renowned for its expertise in this field.
In 2012, we began work on a new TR on the QoS parameters
and the related measurement methodology for smartphones,
and we published a new ETSI Guide on throughput
measurements.
We published a TR on localisation, specifically the translation
of dynamically generated text into different languages. This
addresses problems encountered, for example, when users
of one nationality use their mobile phones on a foreign
network.
We completed a TR on mobile text telephony over Internet
Protocol (IP), which will enable users who are deaf or hard of
hearing to use a standard mobile terminal as a text
communication device to communicate with other people.
Media Quality and the User Experience
In 2012 our Speech and Media Transmission Quality
committee (TC STQ) made good progress on two new
Technical Specifications, one on the transmission
requirements for ‘super-wideband’ (bandwidth up to 14 kHz)
and full-band headsets and a second for hands-free terminals
and teleconferencing. We are also working on perceptually
motivated parameters, defining more closely the audio
quality, the loudness and fidelity of speech, as perceived by
the user, for wideband and super-wideband speech
terminals. We published a two-part ES for the inductive
coupling of hearing aids to fixed line and cellular terminals.
We began to update our series of standards which define the
transmission requirements for narrowband Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminals from a Quality of Service
(QoS) perspective, as perceived by the user. Other ongoing
work addresses the requirements and test methods for
analogue handsets connected to PSTNs and QoS for
video-streaming services. We began new work on the
development of reference load and background traffic
profiles.
We also address acoustic safety. For example, we are
co-operating with CENELEC on the revision of the EN on
personal music players in mobile phones to include relevant
measurement standards to regulate the levels of output,
particularly to protect children and young adults. At the
same time, we need to ensure that conversational functions
on mobile phones and equipment such as hearing aids and
in-ear monitors used in broadcasting, where at times the
location demands higher sound levels, are not adversely
affected.
Our User Group works closely with our other committees,
particularly those concerned with QoS, to ensure that our
standards take into account the needs of users. In 2012, the
User Group focused particularly on the quality of
telecommunication services. The Group modified its ETSI
Guide on the definition and methods needed to assess QoS
parameters at the various stages of the customer
relationship other than utilisation.
Better Living with ICT
In 2012 we initiated work on an ETSI Guide to provide
recommendations for the design and development of mobile
ICT devices for people with learning disabilities. Without
some assistance or adaptations, people with cognitive
disabilities may face difficulties in performing or completing
even very simple tasks (such as reading or writing text or
processing auditory information). TC HF’s project includes
the configuration of user interfaces and functionality using
profiles, support for the spoken presentation of text content,
support for viewing web content on devices with small
screens, and support for remote assistance, so that users can
obtain help when they encounter difficulties.
Safety
Our Safety committee (TC Safety) monitors developments in
electromagnetic fields, electrical safety and safety in cable
television systems.
9
Content Delivery
Facilitating Content Consumption across Different Business Areas
The Internet, mobile communications and broadcasting are converging. But the standardisation of these different areas has
traditionally followed different paths, so they do not interoperate across the same platforms. Content providers therefore
incur significant additional cost and customers’ buy-in remains below expectations. ETSI is addressing the urgent need to
align these diverse specifications and to harmonise solutions, for the benefit of both the business community and the
consumer.
Content Delivery
Content Delivery
In 2012, our Media Content Distribution committee (TC MCD)
worked on the development of multimedia systems
(television and communication) to meet present and future
market demand for media content distribution. Specifically,
it addressed the issues associated with the fragmentation
and the non-interoperability of solutions for content
distribution across platforms in a converged environment
supporting Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), web TV, mobile TV
and broadcast TV.
The major achievement of the year was the publication
of a Technical Specification (TS) on the use cases and
requirements for Content Delivery Network (CDN)
interconnection. This provides an MCD CDN-CDN profile for
CDN interconnection use cases and the necessary CDN-CDN
protocol choice to make interconnection possible. Related
work on interconnection architecture and protocols also
progressed well.
Ongoing work includes the development of a TS on the multiscreen convergence service. When completed, this will
include a definition of terminology, and will collect together
use cases and scenarios, identify requirements, analyse the
impact, and pinpoint the gaps in current standards and
specifications.
We are analysing the architecture, the requirements and the
mechanisms for interoperable and exchangeable Conditional
Access/Digital Rights Management systems for multimedia
platforms in a convergent environment.
Broadcasting
Our standardisation of broadcast systems, programme
transmission and receiving equipment is dealt with in a Joint
Technical Committee which brings us together with the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) –
JTC Broadcast.
JTC Broadcast achieved a major milestone in 2012 with the
completion of the standards for the second generation of the
Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) interactive satellite system
(DVB-RCS2). A European Standard (EN) on the lower layers
for satellites was published in January and two TSs followed
in May. DVB-RCS2 provides users with a broadband Internet
connection, without the need for any local terrestrial
infrastructure. Together, the DVB-RCS and DVB-RCS2
standards define the complete air interface specification for
two-way satellite broadband Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT) systems.
In line with its revision of the DVB-T2 European Standard in
2011, in 2012 JTC Broadcast revised the DVB-T2 guidelines
specification, to take account of ‘T2-Lite’, the new profile
created specifically for mobile and portable TV.
10
One of the most popular DVB standards, on Service
Information in DVB systems (DVB-SI), was also updated in
2012 to take account of new descriptors.
We revised one of the Connected TV standards, the Hybrid
Broadcast Broadband TV specification, primarily to include
Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG DASH).
In the radio area, the DRM+ (Digital Radio Mondiale) ETSI
Standard was updated to accommodate the extension of
DRM’s frequency range and to reflect operational
experience. A specification for Digital Audio Broadcasting
(DAB) on the rules for implementing service information
features was also produced, which will help broadcasters and
manufacturers of receivers to implement various service
information features to ensure interoperability.
Finally, the TV-Anytime specifications, which allow for the
controlled delivery of multimedia content to a user’s Digital
Video Recorder (DVR), were updated to take account of new
developments.
Cognitive Interference Mitigation Techniques
Our Electromagnetic Compatibility and Radio Spectrum
Matters committee (TC ERM) is working on cognitive
interference mitigation techniques for use by Programme
Making and Special Events (PMSE) devices – the wireless
microphones, in-ear monitors, talk-back links, audio links etc.
which are used to support multimedia productions in TV
broadcast, stage shows, theatre productions and sporting
events. Following the advent of the Digital Dividend and the
Digital Switch-Over from analogue to digital television, the
PMSE market urgently needs access to new spectrum
resources to satisfy existing and future demand. As an
alternative to the allocation of new spectrum, we are
investigating the possibility of using cognitive spectrum
access methods to facilitate spectrum sharing.
Fixed Networks
Fulfilling the Promise of Unlimited Bandwidth
The way we communicate changes as technology evolves. Nowadays consumers expect services to be easily
accessible and available everywhere, on whatever devices they are using. Technically, this means networks must
converge. Our fixed networks work provides a comprehensive set of standards for networks that meet today’s – and
tomorrow’s – needs.
Back in 1988, our activities began with ISDN and PSTN
technologies. Technological evolution has subsequently
enabled independence between access networks and the
core network, allowing connection from any access network.
On the core network side, Next Generation Networks (NGN)
are enabling the use of Internet Protocol (IP) technology and
more advanced services, including services embracing voice,
Internet, TV and mobile. Our work addresses the ongoing
needs of access network technologies, from Digital
Subscriber Line technologies (xDSL), fibre and cable, through
to the latest developments with IP/networking technology
and the Cloud.
Cloud
In September 2012, a European Commission (EC)
Communication recognised the proliferation of standards
and the resulting confusion as key factors holding back the
widespread use of cloud computing. The EC has asked ETSI to
co-ordinate with stakeholders and to identify a detailed map
of the standards required in areas such as security,
interoperability, data portability and reversibility. In
December 2012, we held a Cloud workshop, at which, in
co-operation with various partner organisations, we
launched the Cloud Standards Co-ordination. Under this
umbrella, interested parties, including non-members of ETSI,
will meet for a series of brainstorming sessions throughout
2013 with the aim of identifying requirements for Cloud
standards.
Cable
We are developing a new ETSI Standard (ES) to define global
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Hybrid Fibre Coaxial
(HFC) access networks and their application, and a report on
energy efficiency and KPIs for cable access networks.
A TR is being prepared to describe the current and evolving
electromagnetic environment following the introduction of
new radio services in the Digital Dividend UHF frequency
band 790 - 862 MHz compared with the current and evolving
cable network equipment parameters defined by existing
European Standards (ENs).
New work began at the end of 2012 on a Technical
Specification (TS) on measurement methods for the network
performance of broadband data services. We began to
specify the equipment and end-to-end system requirements
for broadband cable networks to enable the transition from
IPv4 to IPv6, and we are preparing a specification for a
methodology to verify that equipment and systems comply
with ETSI standards that enable this transition.
New Technologies
Our ISG on Measurement Ontology for IP traffic (ISG MOI)
published its second Group Specification in 2012, on the
requirements for an ontology for IP traffic measurement.
In an exciting initiative at the end of 2012, we set up a new
ISG on Network Functions Virtualisation (ISG NFV) to develop
a new approach to the technologies and operations in
telecommunications networks
Also in 2012 we completed a new Technical Report (TR)
which provides an overview of private sector user
recommendations for public Cloud services. We published a
second TR, on Service Level Agreements for Cloud, and we
began new work on Cloud as a mitigating technology to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions in other (non-ICT) sectors.
Network Access
In 2012, our network access work focused on improvements
to the Very High Bitrate DSL 2 (VDSL2) standards, Fibre to the
Distribution Point (FTTdp) and Reverse Power Feeding. We
completed a revision of the specifications covering DSL
splitters and micro-filters.
We also addressed issues relating to the interoperation of
customer premises equipment with the introduction of
vectoring.
A New Approach in ETSI
Fixed Networks
Our Industry Specification Group on Autonomic Network
Engineering for the Self-managing Future Internet (ISG AFI) is
working at the forefront of evolved technologies related to
network management. It is defining an architectural
reference model of a Generic Autonomic Network
Architecture (GANA), with the aim of establishing a common
understanding of what autonomic behaviour is and how an
autonomic, self-managing network should be engineered.
In 2012, we reorganised our work on fixed network
standardisation to better reflect the evolution of technology.
We set up a new ETSI Project on End-to-End Network
Architectures (EP E2NA) which brings together all the
relevant ETSI players to oversee the development and
maintenance of a global end-to-end system view of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
networks. We will focus on fixed access and networking
services, as well as interconnection to other networks
(including mobile networks).
We have set up two new Technical Committees: TC CABLE, to
give greater visibility to our ongoing cable and HFC work, and
a new Network Technologies committee (TC NTECH) to
standardise the detailed architecture and protocol
specifications for use in networks, service interconnection
and network interconnection, and Future Networks
technologies.
11
Home and Office
Connecting Devices in the Home and Office
The variety of devices that need to be interconnected is growing rapidly and most require broadband. The new services
being developed are creating a ‘Connected Home’ and a ‘Connected Office’. Our standardisation for home and office
focuses on three aspects: home and office wireless, home and office interconnection, and home and office requirements,
including Quality of Service (QoS) and security.
Home and Office
Cordless Voice and Broadband Communication
Smart Metering
In 2012, our Powerline Telecommunications committee
(TC PLT) continued to work in response to the European
Commission (EC) Mandates on Smart Meters (M/441) and
Smart Grids (M/490). We made good progress with a new TS
on smart metering and home automation, which will define
the powerline communication requirements for smart
meters, covering both in-home and outdoor networks and
using low voltage and medium voltage electricity grids
between the utilities and meters in the home. We also
published a TS on tests and measurements for smart meters
operating on electricity grids.
For many years the leading cordless system in Europe, Digital
Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT™) is now also
number one in the USA.
We are working on ‘New Generation DECT’, which
builds upon the convergence of the Internet and
telecommunications and is fully backwards compatible with
existing DECT technology. It also introduces advanced
features such as high quality wideband (7 kHz) and super
wideband (14 kHz) voice, support of Internet telephony and
broadband data connections. In 2012 we added improved
phone book handling, answering machine control, handset
capability enquiry, security enhancements and an energysaving ‘ECO mode’. The corresponding test specification is
also being drafted.
We continued to develop Ultra Low Energy (ULE) DECT. ULE
technology addresses many application scenarios not
covered by any existing technology, since other current
contenders suffer from a variety of drawbacks including high
power consumption, spectrum access limitations, short range
or a lack of standardisation. The low power consumption of
ULE technology extends battery life (typically up to ten years)
and, with New Generation DECT, connectivity to the Internet
is already available, which makes the technology ideal for the
burgeoning market in sensors, alarms, machine-to-machine
applications and industrial automation. ULE technology may
also be applied to utility meters and related devices and
therefore has implications for the operation of smart grids.
The main usage of DECT ULE in its first phase of development
is home automation. We are therefore updating the DECT
base standard to include the necessary new protocol
elements and procedures, and our first Technical
Specification (TS) for DECT ULE Phase 1 was almost complete
by the end of the year.
We also addressed security features (authentication and
encryption), with new algorithms based on the Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES). The DECT base standard and the
Generic Access Profile were also updated.
12
Powerline Communications
PLT and Premium TV services
The future digital home will share video content such as HD,
HD 3D video, Multiple Views Video and 4K video. Current
home networking technologies do not provide the required
throughput, reliability and coverage for these forthcoming
video formats. 4K is particularly challenging because of the
volume of data involved.
Anticipating future demand, we have been studying the
possibility of improving the performance and coverage of PLT
systems by using MIMO instead of Single Input Single Output
(SISO) technology. The new MIMO PLT-based networks offer
the possibility of distribution throughout the home of
premium services such as 4K video for customers with ultra
high definition television (UHDTV). With the publication in
February 2012 of Part 3, we completed a three-part
Technical Report on the feasibility of MIMO PLT to measure
the capacity MIMO channels in several European countries.
Parts 2 and 3 were also revised during the year to take
account of new products due to be launched in 2013.
In September we began work on a new TS on the
requirements for very high bitrate services such as 4K video.
Small Cells
In the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) we are
working with our international partners on small cells (pico-,
femto-, micro-cells), which will become particularly
important as data rates increase.
Transportation
Bringing the Power of ICT to People on the Move
ETSI supports various transportation domains – road, railways, aviation and maritime services – with activities which
are carried out by key industry players and therefore reflect true market demand.
Intelligent Transport Systems
As a world leader in the standardisation of Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS), we are developing standards for
wireless communications for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicleto-roadside communications. Our ultimate priorities are road
safety, traffic efficiency and reducing environmental impact
(both in terms of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption).
The main focus of our work in 2012 was ‘Co-operative’ ITS,
which offers enormous potential, for example, in the
provision of driver assistance and hazard warning,
emergency services, traffic control, fleet and freight
management and location-based services. The industry plans
to deploy Co-operative ITS from 2015, and the need for
standardisation is therefore pressing. In 2012 we completed
our work in response to European Commission (EC) Mandate
453 on the establishment of standards to ensure
interoperability. By the end of the year, we were in the
process of finalising more than 65 standards, specifications
and validation reports, and the first release of European
Standards (ENs) for the deployment of Co-operative ITS was
scheduled for publication in 2013.
In the network and transport area, a wide range of
specifications was developed and published, including the
important standards to enable GeoNetworking. These are
now being upgraded into ENs.
We completed our work on mitigation between Dedicated
Short Range Communication (DSRC) equipment and
Co-operative ITS, which achieved widespread support from
stakeholders.
In 2012, our Aeronautics committee (TC AERO) completed
the outstanding work items and revisions to ENs remaining
from the EC’s Single European Sky (SES) mandates M/390
and M/438. We continue to supply standards for air traffic
management equipment and the Advanced Surface
Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS). We
have begun new work aimed at enabling airline passengers
to connect to the Internet to send and receive email when
travelling on continental, as well as long-haul flights.
Railways
Following its successful roll-out, an additional 3 MHz of
spectrum was allocated to GSM™ for Railways (GSM-R) to
extend applications to urban and suburban transport needs.
In 2012, we began to incorporate this additional spectrum
into the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) radio
access standard. The major development of 2012, however,
was the introduction of Internet Protocol (IP) into the TSs for
the core network and interfaces.
In addition, new work was initiated on core network
redundancy, using RANflex, which was originally defined by
3GPP for point-to-point calls, in the context of group calls.
We also completed our response to the EC mandates on
Urban Rail (M/486) and the Interoperability Requirement
(M/483). Preparation of the standards themselves will now
begin with a Technical Report on GSM-R on Urban Rail.
Maritime
We made significant progress in 2012 in plugging some of
the standardisation gaps in the area of maritime safety. We
are developing an EN on the technical characteristics and
measurement methods for equipment for the generation,
transmission and reception of Digital Selective Calling (DSC),
the new international standard for distress messages. We are
also creating a three-part EN for maritime personal homing
beacons, intended for search and rescue purposes. Work
continues on two new ENs using DSC and Automatic
Identification System (AIS) signalling in man overboard
devices.
Transportation
Among the highlights, we finalised standards on access
network and ITS channel configuration. We created a
number of security specifications to support ITS, including
trust and privacy management, confidentiality and access
control. Three additional Technical Specifications (TSs) on
applications to improve safety on the roads, and the two ENs
on Co-operative Awareness Message (CAM) and
Decentralised Environmental Notification Message (DENM)
service functionalities were almost completed by the end of
2012.
Aviation
Various quality, conformance and interoperability tests were
produced.
We are also contributing to the EC Mandate on electric
vehicle charging standards (M/468) with points of interest
notification for charging stations.
Automotive Radar
Good progress was made in the Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
automotive radar area. The 24,25 - 26,65 GHz frequency
band is available in EU Member States until 2018, by when
79 GHz equipment is expected to be ready for introduction.
The relevant EN was published in March 2012 and is being
revised to take the latest technology developments into
account. The EN for surveillance radar in the 76 - 77 GHz
range is being updated in the light of the EC’s ‘MOSARIM’
project on radar interference mitigation. We began to revise
the existing EN on radar equipment using Wideband Low
Activity Mode (WLAM) in the 24,05 - 24,50 GHz band.
We completed a set of interoperability test specifications for
marine DSC devices, publishing a multi-part TS which will
improve the overall efficiency of the DSC system.
Satellite
In the satellite area, we produced a new EN on Earth
Stations on Mobile Platforms (ESOMPs) in the Ka band
(27,5 - 30/17,3 - 20,2 GHz). When published early in 2013,
this standard will facilitate the introduction of new
equipment for satellite broadband access on-board aircraft
and vessels.
13
Security
Standards for Secure, Reliable Communications
Standards provide the means for protecting the user and creating a more secure and profitable environment for industry
and commerce. Our security work addresses numerous aspects including mobile/wireless communications, information
technology infrastructure, lawful interception and data retention, electronic signatures, smart cards, fixed communications
and security algorithms.
Smart Cards
Security
The 4th Form Factor for the UICC smart card was eventually
agreed by vote in 2012, after many long and intensive
discussions. The technical realisation of the 4th Form Factor
has taken the miniaturisation of the existing three form
factors, specified respectively in 1988 (ID-1 Card), 1989
(Plug-in Card) and 2004 (Mini-UICC), to the limit by removing
nearly all plastic surrounding the contact area and shifting
the two contacts needed for the high speed interface to the
central part of the contact area.
We specified the MFF2 (M2M Form Factor 2) for use in
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications. The MFF2 is a
Surface Mounted Device (SMD) package which is soldered to
a circuit board; it is an example of an ‘embedded UICC’
(eUICC), that is a UICC which is ‘not easily accessible or
replaceable’. The ability to change subscriptions on devices
which utilise an eUICC necessitates new methods for
provisioning identity and access credentials both securely
and remotely. After long and difficult discussions about the
management of the eUICC, a Technical Specification
containing use cases and a fairly extensive set of
requirements was produced.
We published important test specifications for the
conformance requirements for the ‘UICC Application
Programming Interface for Java Card™ for Contactless
Applications’, and for the Secure Channel interface. This was
developed by our Smart Card Platform committee (TC SCP)
and is used by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) in the OMA
BCAST specifications, and by the Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP™) for secure communications
between the USIM application on a UICC and a relay node.
We completed work on the security for both the Card
Application Toolkit (CAT) and the encapsulated CAT, and on
memory integrity monitoring in M2M applications. We have
introduced the possibility for Java Card™ applications to
indicate that certain data objects in the non-volatile memory
of the chip are subject to high update activities.
In 2012 we closed all work on Release 11 of the Smart Card
specifications and began the definition of the requirements
for Release 12 and their technical realisation. Release 12
requirements include, in particular, the optimisation of the
UICC access as well as use cases and requirements related to
the addition of new contactless features.
Electronic Signatures
In 2012, we continued to work on the first phase of our
response to the European Commission (EC) Mandate on
Electronic Signature Standardisation (M/460) and prepared
for the second phase. Standards to support the use of
electronic signatures and public key certificates are a primary
driver in enabling the successful evolution of eCommerce. In
collaboration with the European Committee for
Standardisation (CEN), we published a rationalised
standardisation framework which will allow mutual
recognition and the cross-border interoperability of
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electronic signatures. The framework provides an inventory
of eSignature standards, a rationalised structure for the
European eSignatures standardisation documents, a gap
analysis and a future work plan.
We completed a number of ‘quick fixes’, providing urgently
needed enhancements to existing standards. Four enhanced
versions of the Advanced Electronic Signatures (AdES) basic
baseline profiles were published which will ensure the
preservation of the technical validity of signatures for a given
time after signature creation. These baseline profiles provide
the basic features necessary for a wide range of business and
governmental applications. They ensure the interoperability
necessary to enable electronic documents containing AdES
signatures to be interchanged across borders.
We made good progress with the drafting of European
Standards (ENs) on the general policy requirements for trust
service providers supporting electronic signatures and on the
policy requirements for certification authorities (CAs) issuing
either qualified certificates or public key certificates. A new
EN on the Qualified Certificate profile is also being prepared.
A new Technical Specification (TS) on procedures and policies
for signature validation was published, which will enable the
technical validity of an electronic signature to be established.
A Technical Report (TR) was created which provides guidance
to CAs issuing publicly trusted TLS/SSL (Transport Layer
Security/Secure Sockets Layer) certificates as to how they
may be assessed, and for auditors in carrying out assessment
of the conformance of such certification authorities.
In 2012 we published test specifications for PAdES
interoperability testing, ASiC interoperability testing and
XAdES baseline profile conformance testing. A XAdES
baseline profile conformance checker tool was also
developed.
As one objective of M/460 is to raise awareness, we
organised a second workshop in February 2012 in McLean,
USA, which brought together US and European stakeholders
to share their views on the operation of electronic signatures
in their respective regions. In November 2012 a second
workshop on Trust Service Provider Conformity Assessment
was held in Berlin, Germany.
Lawful Interception and Data Retention
Lawful Interception (LI) and Data Retention play a crucial role
in helping law enforcement agencies to investigate terrorism
and serious criminal activity. In ETSI we are pioneering the
development of Lawful Interception, and our LI standards are
being adopted around the world. Updating of our LI and Data
Retention standards is an ongoing exercise, particularly to
add new services.
The main focus of 2012 was the development of two new
TRs on Lawful Interception and Data Retention in Cloud and
virtual services.
Security Algorithms
ETSI is a global leader in the provision and maintenance of
security algorithms. Our Security Algorithms Group of Experts
(SAGE) produces authentication and encryption mechanisms
for various technologies to prevent fraud and unauthorised
access to public and private telecommunications networks,
and to protect user privacy.
ETSI Security Workshop
The seventh annual ETSI Security Workshop took
place at Sophia Antipolis in January 2012. This event
was just as successful as the previous workshops,
attracting over 150 registered delegates. The ETSI
Security Workshop is well established now as a
premier event in security, bringing together
standards developers and other experts from around
the world. In 2012, key topics discussed included
security in the Cloud and M2M communications.
Other Aspects of Security
Other ongoing security work includes a study into the
possible replacement of the Terrestrial Trunked Radio
(TETRA) air interface encryption algorithm, algorithms for
Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT™),
Quantum Key Distribution and Intelligent Transport Systems
(ITS), where we are addressing the protection of user privacy
and developing standards to counter risks associated with
Co-operative ITS.
Security
A TR on general requests for the handover and delivery of
real-time or stored information – the ‘eWarrant Interface’ –
was also completed, and we began new work on a
specification to define a specific Warranty electronic
interface between two systems for the exchange of
information relating to the establishment and management
of LI.
SAGE began a major task in 2012, specifying a second set of
3G authentication and key generation algorithms, as an
alternative to the existing Milenage algorithm. (3G
algorithms can also be used for both LTE™ and GSM™/GPRS.)
A particular motivation for this work is the growing interest
in the development of eUICCs, where the SIM application can
be delivered to the UICC after manufacture, either over the
air or over a wire. Pre-installing a second algorithm set
alongside Milenage will allow operators who initially use
Milenage in their SIM applications to switch to the second
algorithm if Milenage is ever compromised. This will help
future-proof the application and give users greater
confidence in devices with eUICCs which may have to remain
operational for many years.
Security issues are being addressed across the whole range
of Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS) work; in particular we
are working on a TR on security-related use cases and threats
in RRS.
Our work on the security of networks includes the regular
updating of specifications that identify appropriate
interfaces, reference points and entities for the purpose of
Lawful Interception in the Next Generation Network
architecture, as well as the development of a report on
assurance profiles for secured telecommunications
operations.
Our Industry Specification Group on Information Security
Indicators (ISG ISI) is working on the implementation and
detection of monitoring systems.
15
Interoperability
Interconnection in a ~Multi-vendor, Multi-network,
Multi-service Environment
Interoperability is one of the reasons why we develop communications standards. It is crucial in a multi-vendor, multinetwork and multi-service environment. Interoperability gives users much greater choice of products, and enables
manufacturers to benefit from the economies of scale of a wider market. The need to ensure interoperability is thus driven
by market demand.
ETSI’s Unique Approach to Interoperability
Interoperability
In their drive to deliver interoperable standards, our
technical committees follow the principles of applying best
practice specification techniques, the validation of standards
and the development of test specifications related to our key
technologies. Unique among Standards Developing
Organisations, ETSI has pioneered the use of these best
practices to deliver interoperable standards.
With over 20 years’ experience, our Centre for Testing and
Interoperability (CTI) is responsible for this horizontal
activity, providing hands-on expertise in standards validation
(especially through the organisation of our world-renowned
Plugtests™ interoperability events), the development of test
specifications, the application of protocol specification
techniques and the use of methodologies.
Test Specifications
In 2012 we continued our extensive development of
conformance test specifications for LTE™, Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS), Digital Enhanced Cordless
Telecommunications (DECT™) and the Internet Protocol
Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).
In particular, the work on ITS included the development of a
conformance test platform (the ‘Conformance Validation
Framework’), conformance test specifications for the
Co-operative Awareness Message (CAM) and Decentralised
Environmental Notification Message (DENM) services,
GeoNetworking protocols, and security tests for vehicle-tovehicle and vehicle-to-roadside network infrastructure
communications services.
Plugtests Events
Our Plugtests interoperability events provide valuable
feedback to help improve our standards and at the same
time offer manufacturers an opportunity to test their
products and services against our standards, resolving any
issues before entering the marketplace.
16
We offered twelve Plugtests events in 2012, on a variety of
topics including electronic signatures, the Internet of Things,
Cloud, ITS, IMS, Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
communications, mobile applications and IPv6.
RCS Interoperability
As one of the partners of the Third Generation Partnership
Project (3GPP™), ETSI has played a key role in the
deployment of IMS. Working with the Multi-Service Forum
(MSF) and the GSM Association (GSMA), in 2012 we
organised an interoperability event on Rich Communications
Suite (RCS) Voice over LTE (VoLTE). This took place over three
weeks in September-October at sites in Kranj, Slovenia, and
Beijing, China. The event focused on validating key network
and application interfaces to ensure multi-vendor deployment
strategies for LTE/ Evolved Packet Core (EPC)/IMS technology
for RCS and VoLTE. We held a workshop on ‘Next Generation
Services: RCS, VoLTE and beyond’, which ran in parallel with
the interoperability testing.
Co-operative Mobility Systems
Together with the European Road Transport Telematics
Implementation Co-ordination Organisation (ERTICO), we
organised a second Co-operative Mobility Systems (CMS)
Plugtests event in June 2012. The event attracted more than
15 companies with over 45 participants and provided an
opportunity to test the interoperability of equipment
implementing key ITS protocols. This event focused on
GeoNetworking and included new tests such as contentionbased forwarding, GeoUnicast and IPv6 over GeoNetworking.
A public workshop was organised to coincide with the
Plugtests event.
eCall
Together with ERTICO, we organised the first eCall Plugtests event, in May 2012 in Nuneaton, UK. eCall, the
European Commission initiative to reduce road accidents and save life, involves a 112 emergency call, triggered
either by the occupants of the vehicle or automatically, which transmits a minimum set of data and establishes
a voice connection with a public safety answering point (PSAP). This event tested the eCall standards developed
by ETSI and the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and verified the interoperability between
in-vehicle devices produced by various manufacturers and PSAPs from different countries.
ASiC
Throughout 2011 and 2012, we worked on a test suite for
Associated Signature Container (ASiC) signatures, which
culminated in November and December 2012 in the first
remote ASiC interoperability event.
Methods for Testing and Specification
TTCN-3
ETSI developed the highly successful test specification
language, Testing and Test Control Notation version 3
(TTCN-3), which is endorsed globally by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). Originally designed for the
telecommunications sector, TTCN-3 is widely deployed in a
variety of areas including the automotive sector,
transportation, the Internet, medical applications, web-based
services, finance, industrial automation and distributed
systems. Its use has also expanded from functional
conformance testing to include load, performance and
interoperability testing.
We update the TTCN-3 standards on an annual basis and, in
April 2012, we published version 4.4.1 of the language.
Revision of the TTCN-3 base standard, to take account of the
new version, was completed by the end of the year and
forwarded to the ITU for endorsement. In October, we began
to upgrade the related conformance test suite, both in the
light of TTCN-3 4.4.1 and to extend the coverage of the suite.
In 2012, we experimented with the use of commercial MBT
tools to generate tests from standards related to the IMS and
ITS. The results proved that commercial tools can be used in
a standardisation setting. We produced a Technical Report
(TR) outlining the case studies we examined and an ETSI
Guide on the use of MBT in the development of
standardised tests.
Security
We continue to address security issues; we are producing a
TR describing case studies of where security testing has been
used in industry, a Technical Specification on security testing
terminology and a security design guide. In completing this
project, we are co-ordinating with various European projects,
including the ITEA2 – Diamonds project.
Major international user conferences
Over the last few years, TC MTS and the CTI together have
organised two major annual user conferences: the TTCN 3
User Conference, which was held in 2012 in June in
Bangalore, India, and the MBT User Conference, held in
Tallinn, Estonia, in September 2012. We have decided to
combine these two successful events into a single annual
conference in 2013 – the User Conference on Advanced
Automated Testing (UCAAT) – to broaden the scope we cover
beyond just TTCN-3 and MBT and to include more on general
specification techniques and requirements.
Interoperability
Our Methods for Testing and Specification committee
(TC MTS) creates standards related to testing and
specification languages, and provides frameworks and
methodologies to enable our other committees to produce
documents that are easy to understand and easy to use. Its
work is therefore critical to the market success of numerous
technologies.
We are producing an ETSI Standard (ES) which will define a
graphical notation for the specification of test descriptions
and the presentation of test execution results, primarily for
functional testing, but also potentially for other types of
testing.
Model-Based Testing
Work on Model-Based Testing (MBT) is a key focus. The
dominant topic during 2012 was the Test Description
Language (TDL), where the user community is looking to ETSI
to take a strong leadership role in testing development.
17
Public Safety
Mission-Critical Communications to Rely on
We are working on standards for communications in a wide range of emergency situations, ranging from a man overboard
to a major natural disaster.
TETRA
Emergency Calling
Several key standards were updated in 2012 as part of our
routine maintenance. We also completed a new User
Requirement Specification (URS) for TETRA Direct Mode
Operation (DMO), and a new URS for mission-critical
broadband communications.
To help people with hearing or speaking disabilities, we are
addressing ‘Total Conversation’ for the handling of
emergency calls. Total Conversation combines video, realtime text and audio, so that people with disabilities who, for
example, need video for sign language or real-time text for a
text-based conversation or as a complement to a voice
conversation can use conventional services and terminals. In
November, we published a Technical Report (TR) on ways to
implement Total Conversation on fixed and mobile devices,
which will be followed by a TS which will enable, for example,
a deaf person to make a three-way video call involving the
public safety answering point (PSAP) and a sign language
interpreter, using video and real-time text.
Public Safety
Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) continues to be a popular
choice for critical communications users, and 2012 saw
record sales of TETRA terminals.
We completed a study which proved the feasibility of
decreasing the minimum frequency at which TETRA can
operate from 300 MHz to 138 MHz. Changes to allow the use
of the lower range are therefore now being made to the core
TETRA air interface standard. This VHF addition to the
capability of TETRA is expected to be particularly important in
areas of the world where there is a need for a more
economical solution than can be provided in the UHF bands.
TETRA is moving towards a fully integrated and seamless
solution, providing narrowband/wideband/broadband
wireless communications for ‘mission-critical’ and traditional
Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) applications. With
standards successfully established now for narrowband and
wideband TETRA, we are focussing increasingly on
standardising a broadband extension to the TETRA standard,
and we are working closely with the European regulators in
an attempt to find the additional spectrum this would
necessitate.
To minimise the work required and to speed up the
standardisation process, the plan is to enhance existing
standards for technologies, such as LTE™, to make them
suitable for mission-critical applications. One benefit would
be the ability to take equipment from off-the-shelf product
lines to keep costs down. 3GPP™ communications systems
are inherently secure and are perfectly adapted to data as
well as voice services. National security forces are therefore
starting to bring their requirements to 3GPP to standardise
the additional features demanded by such services: group
call, priority and pre-emption, and direct terminal-to-terminal
communication (‘proximity service’).
18
In January 2012, we published a Technical Specification (TS)
on the requirements for a European public warning system
(PWS) using the Cell Broadcast Service – EU Alert. This TS
specifies how EU-Alert should support multiple languages. It
ensures that, while an emergency alert is sent in the local
language of a country, the recipient, who may, for example,
be visiting from abroad and not speak the local language, can
select a different language to receive the alert. With 23
different official languages, this is a significant issue for
Europe. The TS also specifies different levels of severity for
emergency warnings and how warnings are displayed on the
user’s mobile phone.
In response to European Commission (EC) Mandate 493 on
the Location Enhanced Emergency Call Service, we are
defining a single functional architecture to determine the
location of an emergency caller. The solution will cover a
situation, for example, where a Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) service provider and one or several network operators
– all independent enterprises serving the customer in the
establishment of an emergency call – need to co-operate to
determine the caller’s location.
We also continue to address eCall, the EC’s road safety
initiative.
Other Aspects of Public Safety
Standardisation
A TR on the use of Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology to
achieve high-precision local positioning (with a resolution to
within a few centimetres), for safety applications on the
railways, was published in October.
We published a TR which provides an overview of present
satellite emergency communications resources.
Our Reconfigurable Radio Systems committee (TC RRS)
produced a TR which defines the use cases for spectrum
sharing and network usage for public safety communications.
We are also creating standards for maritime safety
equipment and working on various mechanisms for road
safety through the use of Intelligent Transport Systems.
Working in Partnership
Working with Europe
In December 2012, at the request of DG CONNECT, we
launched the Cloud Standardisation Co-ordination.
We participated as an observer at various Member State
committees and their working groups (for example, 98/34/EC
(now replaced by the new Regulation), the
Telecommunication Conformity Assessment and Market
Surveillance Committee (TCAM), the Communications
Committee (COCOM) and the Radio Spectrum Committee
(RSCOM)). We also participated in the Radio Spectrum Policy
Group (RSPG) and assisted in the development of opinions
on radio spectrum policy in the EU.
We value our status as a European Standardisation
Organisation (ESO) in strategic terms, and we continue to
place high value on our partnership with the European
Commission (EC) and the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA). We provide world-class standards and specifications
to support European Union (EU) legislation and public
policies. We have established and maintain good relations
with relevant EC DGs including ENTR (Enterprise and
Industry) and CONNECT, as well as DG MOVE (Mobility and
Transport), DG RTD (Research and Innovation) and DG JRC
(Joint Research Centre).
In 2012 we welcomed Council Regulation 1025/2012/EC
on European standardisation which entered into force on
1 January 2013. We were proactive in ensuring that our
position was made known as the text was being finalised
(especially at the committee stage in the European
Parliament), and the final text reflected many of our views. In
particular, the direct participation model was formally
recognised as part of the European Standardisation System.
The Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) part
of the regulation contains the most radical changes; for
example, in relation to public procurement and ICT, all
specifications from the ESOs can now be used, and public
authorities (including the EC) may now request that
specifications from other Standards Developing Organisations
(SDOs), including fora and consortia, should be used, as long
as they meet the criteria in the regulation (to be classified as
ICT specifications).
We continue to support the ICT Multi-Stakeholder Platform
and, as one of the members, we participate regularly in its
meetings.
In 2012 we worked on existing mandates and responded to
mandates developed during the year, commenting on drafts
as they were prepared. We worked actively in the
programming phase of the Smart Grids mandate (M/490)
and we followed up issues under the smart metering
mandate (M/441). We were heavily committed in mandated
areas such as Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems
(ITS), electronic signatures and in response to the Space
standardisation mandate (M/496) and Mandate M/493 on
enhanced Emergency Calls. In many of these areas, we
co-operated closely with our sister ESOs, the European
Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC).
Throughout 2012 we continued to develop Harmonised
European Standards (ENs) in support of the Radio and
Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) and
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directives, as well as
ENs that have been listed in the Official Journal of the EU
(OJEU) in support of the Single European Sky (SES)
Interoperability Regulation. The improved regularity of
listings in the OJEU has resulted in our Harmonised ENs
providing presumption of conformity in a much more
efficient manner.
Partnership Agreements
We have put together a portfolio of partnership agreements
with fora, consortia and international and regional SDOs, to
foster collaboration with organisations around the world. We
have long recognised that working with others is the best
way to establish coherence between ETSI standards and
those produced by others, to avoid the duplication of effort
and to ensure that our standards are widely accepted and
implemented. Co-operation is crucial to reduce
fragmentation in standardisation and to address the
convergence of technologies. Our investment in partnerships
is also an important means by which we ensure our activities
keep up with market needs.
By the end of 2012, our partnership portfolio numbered over
80 such agreements. During the year, we entered into new
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the IPSO Alliance,
the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) and the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF). In
addition, the existing Letter of Intent (LoI) with SAE
International was upgraded to an MoU. A LoI was also signed
with the TD Industry Alliance (TDIA).
Partnerships were renewed with the GlobalPlatform, the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the
Open Grid Forum (OGF), the NFC Forum, ECMA International,
the NATO Standardisation Agency (NSA), ERTICO-ITS Europe,
the TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA)
and the European Patent Office (EPO). Together with CEN
and CENELEC, we established a joint MoU with the EuroAsian Council for Standardisation, Metrology and
Certification (EASC).
A new partnership framework with the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) was concluded in July when
the Director-General of ETSI and the ITU Secretary General
together signed an MoU between the two SDOs. This MoU
replaces the previous agreements with each of the three ITU
sectors, encompassing all three sectors in a single
framework. This will improve our exchange of information
and increase co-operation in technical, political and
marketing areas.
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Dialogue with Emerging Markets
Forapolis Support Services
Our outreach to the Commonwealth of Independent States
included running a workshop in Georgia in May on radio
regulations, mobile and broadcast spectrum. In June, we
took part in an Eastern Partnership Project meeting on
standardisation and conformity assessment in Stockholm,
Sweden, where we both established and renewed contacts
with officials responsible for ICT standardisation and
regulation in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine. We also addressed the TurkmenTel
conference in Turkmenistan in September 2012.
We provide services, on a cost-recovery basis, for the benefit
of ETSI members by delivering high quality support to third
party organisations where our members are involved. This
includes both forum management services and the provision
of IT tools and technical support related to interoperability
and testing – all delivered under the Forapolis™ brand.
We are aware of the opportunities for trade and investment
offered by developing international markets, and we
therefore maintain a dialogue with key partners in the
different regions.
In India, we are closely following the creation of a new player
in the Indian standardisation landscape, the Development
Organization of Standards for Telecommunications in India
(DOSTI).
Drawing on our two decades of experience, Forapolis offers
personalised support services to various standardisation and
partnership initiatives.
The Seconded European Standardisation Expert in India
(SESEI) project was formally signed in 2012. Under this
initiative, an Expert will work in India for three years,
increasing the visibility of European standardisation and
promoting co-operation between Europe and India on
standards related issues. The SESEI project is financed jointly
by the EC and EFTA with contributions from ETSI, CEN and
CENELEC. As project leader, ETSI is responsible for managing
this project.
A similar project has been running in China (the Seconded
European Standardisation Expert for China, SESEC) for the
last six years, which has been particularly successful in
enabling us to develop our contacts with Chinese institutions.
The second SESEC project came to a close at the end of
August 2012, and we are preparing for the start of SESEC 3.
In 2012 we extended the Forapolis service to deliver tools
and support for European Commission (EC) FP7 and other
related projects including SUNRISE (Strengthening User
Networks for Requirement Investigation and Supporting
Entrepreneurship), in support of the European GALILEO
initiative on satellite navigation systems and their
applications.
During 2012, the Forapolis Portal Platform evolved even
more to adapt better to the requirements of existing and
potential partners. It is considered to be an essential timesaving forum management tool for documentation,
meetings, voting, working groups and membership.
Following the continued success of our Centre for Testing
and Interoperability (CTI) in providing Trusted service Status
List (TSL) Conformance Checker services to the EC, in the
context of verification of Electronic Signatures, in 2012 we
were awarded a third contract with the EC to maintain the
platform for the collection and analysis of EU Member States
Trusted Lists.
Intellectual Property Rights
ETSI operates a highly regarded Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) Policy. In response to the needs of our members, public
authorities and the ICT industry in general, in 2012 we
embarked on a new round of discussions to improve this
Policy still further. We are consulting widely – with our
members, the EPO, the EC, the United States Department of
Justice and relevant partner organisations. Our members
hold very diverse views on IPR issues, but discussions will
continue in 2013 with the aim of clarifying and agreeing new
statements and positions on a number of controversial
points.
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Specialist Task Forces and Other Funded Projects
Specialist Task Forces (STFs) are groups of highly skilled
experts sent by ETSI members to work together for
limited periods to perform specific technical work under
the direction of an ETSI committee. A similar mechanism
has been adopted to support ‘funded projects’ for the
Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) partners
and for the R&D projects funded by the European
Commission (EC) and the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA).
Altogether, 45 STFs and other funded projects were active
during 2012, involving about 170 experts of 24 different
nationalities, for an equivalent of almost 25 man/years.
The financial investment was about 2,7 M€ and, in
addition, a voluntary contribution equivalent to 570 k€
was provided by experts working free of charge.
EC/EFTA Funding
We continued to collaborate effectively with the EC and
EFTA during 2012, with the successful negotiation of a
slightly increased Operating Grant for 2012 as well as the
acceptance and finalisation of the payments of the 2011
Operating Grant. The EC/EFTA contribution to the ETSI
standardisation infrastructure for 2012 was set at just
below 3,04 M€ via the Operating Grant. It is anticipated
that the 2013 Operating Grant with the EC will be
concluded for a slightly increased amount that will also
reflect our management of the Seconded European
Standardisation Expert in India (SESEI) project.
We managed and invoiced the action grants received
from the EC/EFTA efficiently, and 2012 saw the
finalisation and closure of actions started in 2009 and
2010 onwards. 2012 also saw an increase in the EC/EFTA
financing of standardisation actions (more than 2,2 M€),
as more requests were made, compared with 2011. The
actions covered mandated work, especially for electronic
signatures (TC ESI), while further grants were made for
PlugtestsTM interoperability events. A number of
proposals for further action grants were submitted during
the first quarter of 2012 to support activity by our
Intelligent Transport Systems (TC ITS), Human Factors
(TC HF) and Satellite Earth Stations & Systems (TC SES)
committees.
Funding sources in 2012
ETSI funding
ETSI voluntary contribution
EC/EFTA Mandates/ICT
EC/EFTA R&D
3GPP Partners funding
3GPP voluntary contribution
Technical areas in which funded resources were invested in 2012
Technical area
3GPP TTCN test specifications –
3GPP partners funding
Spent (k€)
793
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)
509
Digital Enhanced Cordless
Telecommunications (DECT™)
189
EMC and Radio Spectrum Matters (ERM)
209
IMS Network Testing (INT)
188
Electronic Signatures & Infrastructures (ESI)
133
Human Factors (HF)
R&D projects – EC/EFTA funding
Methods for Testing & Specification (MTS)
Speech and Multimedia Transmission
Quality (STQ)
165
125
121
101
Integrated Broadband Cable
Telecommunication Networks (CABLE)
56
Smart Card Platform (SCP)
33
Access, Terminals, Transmission and
Multiplexing
49
Figures are rounded to the nearest k€.
32%
9%
22%
4%
24%
9%
21
Standards Production
In 2012 ETSI published over 2 700 standards and reports. By
the end of the year, we had produced a total of over 32 000
standards, specifications, reports and guides since our
establishment in 1988.
Production performance is still excellent. In 2012, we put
further effort into reducing the lead times for producing our
standards. We targeted support to new rapporteurs, to
improve their familiarity with ETSI’s editing rules and related
tools, which resulted in higher quality drafting of documents,
and thus shorter lead times.
In October, following three years of analysis and
development, we introduced a new approval process for our
European Standards (ENs) – the EN Approval Procedure
(ENAP). With this procedure, the Public Enquiry and voting
processes now run in parallel. After the resolution of any
technical comments submitted at this stage, the standards
are sent to a further national vote but, if no comments have
been received, the standard can proceed straight to
publication. This change is expected to improve the quality of
standards produced and reduce delays.
The number of deliverables published, for each of the years 1990 - 2012 and the prediction for 2013
2 840
2013
2 716
Distribution by type of published document
Technical Specification
Technical Report (TR)2
(TS)1
ETSI Standard (ES)
European Standard (telecommunications series)
ETSI Guide (EG)
In 2012
Total since 1988
198
2 813
2 427
19
(EN)3
Group Specification (GS)
TOTAL
1
2
3
22
4 503
7
77
8
2 716
Includes GSMTM Technical Specification (GTS)
Includes old deliverable types: Technical Committee Reference Technical Report (TCR-TR),
Technical Committee Technical Report (TC-TR) and ETSI Technical Report (ETR)
680
53
4
Special Report (SR)
24 237
Includes amendments and old deliverable types: European Telecommunication Standard (ETS),
Interim ETS (I-ETS) and Technical Basis for Regulation (TBR)
235
25
32 570
Membership
ETSI membership increased again in 2012 and, by the end of
the year, we had a total of 759 members. This total is made
up of 619 Full Members, drawn from 40 European countries,
116 Associate Members and 24 Observers. Overall
membership (all categories) is drawn from 62 different
countries and provinces, from across five continents. 184 of
our members are Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs),
of which 86 are Micro-Enterprises.
The European Commission and the European Free Trade
Association Secretariat, which hold special roles as
Counsellors, attend the General Assembly and the ETSI Board
and continue to play an active part in our work.
Upgrading our building
Every year, we organise some 300-400 technical meetings at
ETSI, with up to 7 000 delegates passing through our doors.
Recent trends indicated the need for larger rooms for growing
standardisation groups and improved audio-visual facilities
due to the increased use of web-conferencing.
Construction work began in July to upgrade our meeting
rooms, to increase capacity and to comply with the latest
French legislation on accessibility. Greater flexibility is being
provided with the addition of removable partitions, and
improved audio and video equipment is being installed. The
Amphi Athena will also be extended from 170 to 240 seats to
accommodate large workshops and other meetings.
Evolution of ETSI Full Membership
2012
619
2011
598
2010
579
2009
580
2008
574
Full and Associate Membership by category
Overall membership by country/province
Albania
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
China
– Taiwan (Province of China)
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Korea
Latvia
Lesotho
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Yemen
62 countries or provinces in total
Manufacturers
Network operators
Administrations
Research bodies
Service providers
Consultancies
Users
Others
Other Government bodies
312
72
59
97
58
64
29
26
18
(42%)
(10%)
(8%)
(13%)
(8%)
(9%)
(4%)
(4%)
(2%)
Membership by type
Full Members
Associate Members
Observers
Total
1
1
4
15
30
2
2
4
8
10
12
3
2
5
13
1
2
15
1
88
1
111
6
5
1
7
1
1
9
5
32
5
1
4
1
1
1
7
1
2
31
12
8
3
2
7
12
1
1
4
4
3
21
23
23
8
2
3
119
49
1
1
759
01-01-2012
31-12-2012
117
116
598
24
739
619
24
759
23
Financial Situation
The management of the finances of ETSI is described by
• the budget report
• the financial statements (balance sheet and income and
expenditure statement) which are established according to
French laws and regulations.
Mr Patrick Aumeras, whose auditor’s mandate had been
renewed by the 55th General Assembly, has audited the
2012 ETSI accounts and certified that the annual financial
statements are true, sincere and give a fair view of the
activities carried out during the past financial year.
Budget Maintenance
In total, compared with 2011, income increased by 4,8% and
expenditure by 5,4% or 1,2 M€. The result of the year is a
surplus of 20 k€ compared with a surplus of 154 k€ in 2011.
Expenditure – Secretariat costs were 3,1% over budget and
higher by 5,4% compared with 2011, mainly due to a
provision built into the 2012 accounts to cover lawyers’ fees
for defence costs related to a law suit in the US. The revision
of the resources allocation remains an ongoing project that
delivers benefits and enables us to adjust resources to the
level of members’ contributions while maintaining the
targets set by our Long Term Strategy. Partners’ services are
delivered on a cost recovery model. 3,7 M€ were spent on
experts’ costs for Specialist Task Forces and other
standardisation related technical experts.
Income – Members’ contributions significantly increased
compared with 2011 (+8,5%). Roughly 60% of the budget
was funded by members’ contributions (14 M€). EC/EFTA
payments amounted to 4,1 M€ to cover expenses related to
the operation of the European standardisation platform and
standardisation projects. Income generated by support
services supplied to fora and consortia amounted to 1,3 M€
(a 6% decrease).
2012 Budget Statements
Income
Members’ contributions and Observer fees
EC/EFTA contracts
3GPP™ Partners
Voluntary contributions
Partners’ services
European Friends of 3GPP
Sales
Plugtests™
Financial income
Other income
TOTAL INCOME
Expenditure
Secretariat staff costs
Other Secretariat costs
Special Projects
European Friends of 3GPP
Provision and losses
Experts costs
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
In 2012, there was a surplus of 20 k€.
24
k€
13 992
4 126
1 858
39
1 334
605
290
112
194
991
23 541
k€
11 224
6 139
304
489
1 694
3 671
22 521
Financial Statements for the Year 2012
The final accounts and the balance sheet are summarised
below. The fiscal accounting period is 1 January 2012 – 31
December 2012.
Statement of Income and Expenditure Year 2012
Income
Purchases
Expenses
Financial income and expenses
Extraordinary income & expenses
TOTAL
Income (€)
Expenditure (€)
210 670
1 515
9 855 561
13 689 375
17 063
13 220
23 383 226
23 595 411
There was a surplus of 20 192 € in 2012.
23 575 219
Summary of the Balance Sheet
Assets
Net amounts at:
Fixed Assets
Debtors
Securities/cash
Adjustment accounts
TOTAL ASSETS
Liabilities
Net amounts at:
Equity
Provisions
Balance carried forward
Result of the year
Creditors
Adjustments
TOTAL LIABILITIES
31 Dec 2011 (€)
31 Dec 2012 (€)
5 818 725
14 464 476
6 252 695
131 962
6 778 218
17 687 605
5 330 430
255 061
26 667 858
30 051 314
31 Dec 2011 (€)
31 Dec 2012 (€)
8 278 661
89 855
-133 980
153 960
4 805 243
13 474 119
8 278 661
1 525 000
211 522
20 192
5 013 305
15 002 634
26 667 858
Figures are rounded to the nearest €.
30 051 314
• Air Traffic Management
• Maritime Communications
• Autonomic Systems
• Mobile Communications
• Automotive Radar
• Broadband Wireless Access
• Broadcasting
• Cable Networks
• Cloud Technology
• Cognitive Radio
• DECT™
• Digital Mobile Radio
• eHealth
• Electromagnetic Compatibility
• Electronic Signatures
• Emergency Communications
• Energy Saving
• Environmental Aspects
• Fixed-line Access
• Human Factors
• Identity Management
• IMS Network Testing
• Intelligent Transport
• Internet
• Interoperability
• Lawful Interception
• Machine-to-Machine Communications
• Media Content Distribution
• Network Virtualisation
• Next Generation Networks
• Powerline Communications
• Protocols
• Public Safety Systems
• Quality of Service
• Quantum Key Distribution
• Radio
• Radio Regulations
• Radio Systems
• Railway Communications
• Satellite Communications
• Security
• Security Algorithms
• Short-range radio
• Smart Cards
• Smart Grids
• Smart Metering
• Software Defined Radio
• Testing
• Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA)
• Wireless Medical Devices
DECT™, Forapolis™, Plugtests™, UMTS™ and the ETSI logo are trademarks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its
members. 3GPP™ and LTE™ are trademarks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its members and of the 3GPP
Organisational Partners. GSM™ is a registered trademark of the GSM Association.
Published in April 2013
Produced by Kingston Public Relations Ltd, UK (+44 1482 876229) www.kingstonpr.com
European Telecommunications Standards Institute
06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France
Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00
Fax +33 4 93 65 47 16
info@etsi.org
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